This invention relates to driverless wheeled vehicles of the type classified in class 104. As a disclosure exemplifying the type of system involved herein, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,040; U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,837; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,810.
There is a need for a control system which permits only one driverless vehicle at a time to be driven off the free ends of stationary tracks onto a transfer table only when the transfer table is in a receiving position and to restrain any following vehicles until the transfer table moves away and returns to the receiving position.
This invention is directed to a driverless vehicle traffic control system comprising stationary first and second tracks having free ends, a transfer table having third and fourth tracks thereon, said transfer table being movable from a receiving position wherein each track on said transfer table is aligned with one of said stationary tracks to a nonreceiving position wherein the tracks on said transfer table are misaligned with the stationary tracks.
A vehicle stopping means is provided adjacent the free ends of the stationary tracks for preventing driverless vehicles from passing beyond the free ends except when the transfer table is in its receiving position. The vehicle stopping means includes a cam for contacting a movable portion of a driverless vehicle to cause the vehicle to halt while on said stationary tracks. A cam release means is provided for releasing said cam when the transfer table is in a receiving position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel driverless vehicle traffic control system whereby a driverless vehicle can transfer from stationary tracks onto a transfer table only when the transfer table is in a receiving position.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a driverless vehicle traffic system for causing a vehicle to automatically stop and then continue movement in response to the relative position of a transfer table with respect to tracks which guide the movement of the vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a driverless vehicle traffic control system which requires a transfer table which receives a vehicle, moves away from its vehicle receiving position to discharge a vehicle, and returns to its receiving position before permitting another vehicle to pass beyond the ends of stationary tracks.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a traffic control system for driverless vehicles which is simple, reliable, automatic, and requires little or no maintenance.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.